¡Viva México! This kid has been flying the Bandera Nacional for half of his life already. Born in Oaxaca but raised in Cancún, he represented his country at the Olympics in 2016 and captured gold at the Pan American Games in 2011 & 2015 at 49kg (light flyweight). He racked up a total amateur record of 138-40, and then went 9-4 in the semi-pros in WSB as part of the Guerreros team before turning pro in late 2016. Still just 25 and constantly improving, with a crack team of handlers (trainer Manny Robles, manager Frank Espinoza who guided Israel Vázquez to the top, and promoter Fernando Beltran who is considered the "Bob Arum of Mexico") he is finally in his element, with his very pro-ready style of technically sound seek-and-destroy efficiency. He is 9-0 with eight kayos in just 2½ years in the pros. There are still rough edges to smooth down, but with a bit more seasoning a few years down the line I can easily see him poised to inherit the Mexican hero torch as Canelo begins to wind down his own career. Think like Mikey García except with more p4p power, and a more vicious temperament, and more pride in his heritage and passion about the sport to go along with the talent. Here is his second to latest fight, against Kevin Villanueva: This content is protected Watch the way he sets up his first knockdown, in round three, and then how coolly he sets about going for the finish after having wrought that initial destruction. He does get hit too much, with an overabundant reliance on his chin and/or lack of respect for his opponent's power causing his head movement defensively to be very inconsistent, and he does fall in with his shots at times, but for the most part he's a firecracker that would IMO already be a nightmare for all but the uppermost elites at super fly, where he's presently campaigning.
Many fight freaks are already dubbed him the best young Mexican pound-for-pound prospect (assuming a definition by which the likes of Eduardo "Rocky" Hernández have already graduated out into contender status) and I tend to agree.
It was kind of a strange stoppage, btw, against Villanueva, viewed in a vacuum - but if watch the first four and half rounds for a contextual understanding of why the ref jumped in at a seemingly tame moment, it does make sense. This content is protected
